North Carolina – Democrats
“Republicans have made the greatest political mistake in our lifetimes”
That’s how political analyst Simon Rosenberg sees SB 20, the draconian abortion bill that was rammed though the state legislature by Republicans. Rosenberg spoke Tuesday night on a Zoom call with about 200 N.C. Democrats, organized by Carolina Forward. He cited a poll released this week by Carolina Forward and Change Research showing that voters…
Read MoreDem Blues
While the media obsesses over Anderson Clayton’s age, Democrats should focus on her message. The state Democratic party chair told The New York Times: “People with me all the time are like, ‘I wish you’d stop saying we’ve left Democrats behind.’ I’m like: ‘We have. We’ve left people behind’.” She’s right. Democrats have lost touch…
Read MoreAbortion 2024
MAGA Mark Robinson said he’s “tired” of talking about abortion. Maybe he’d rather make fun of school-shooting survivors (see link below). North Carolina Republicans hope the abortion issue will go away by next year’s elections. Democrats won’t let it go. Governor Cooper’s veto will put heat on Republican legislators who promised not to do this.…
Read MoreCleta Mitchell is Worried
Two people from my political past are battling over college students voting. Cleta Mitchell wants to make it harder for them to vote. Daniel Gilligan wants to make it easier. Daniel was a student in a politics class I taught at NC State 20 years ago as an adjunct lecturer. (I think “adjunct” is Latin…
Read MoreNo Small Thing
My doctor used to be in a family practice owned by doctors. Then, I’m not sure how, the practice became part of UNC Health Care. It was like they told my doctor, You have to see a patient every twenty minutes. Now, wham, bam, thank you ma’am – you’re in and out. I told a…
Read MoreWe’re in Good Hands
Near the end of a Zoom meeting this week with Anderson Clayton and other new leaders of the state Democratic Party (and about 100 other people), I messaged the group: “AC, y’all are the best thing to happen to the party in a long time.” Clayton, the new party chair, and vice chairs Jonah Garson…
Read MoreI don’t care
The Tricia Cotham soap opera doesn’t interest me. Were Democrats mean to her? I don’t care. Did PAC donations play a part? I don’t care. Will a once-pro-abortion progressive find peace, love and joy in the Republican caucus? I don’t care. Things I do care about: the public-school crisis, the behavioral-health crisis, the gun crisis,…
Read MoreJosh and Mark
Years ago when Ronald Reagan ran for president against Gerald Ford most GOP party officials were unhappy – they didn’t like Reagan. That didn’t turn out to make much difference in the primary. Republican voters liked Reagan – so he beat Ford in NC’s primary. The other day I read an article in the newspaper…
Read MoreGetting to 55 percent
One of today’s sharpest political analysts, Simon Rosenberg, has mapped out a path for Democrats to get 55% of the national popular vote in 2024, up from President Biden’s 51.4% in 2020. And North Carolina is on Rosenberg’s map. He was one of the few who wasn’t swept away in 2022 by the Republican/media “red…
Read MoreMore On Wisconsin
More than a century ago, Wisconsin pioneered progressive politics in America. More than a decade ago, it pioneered regressive right-wing politics. This month, it may have signaled a sharp turn away from MAGA extremism – and lit a path out of the darkness for North Carolina Democrats. It wouldn’t be the first time Wisconsin and…
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